The Mental Health Department has serious doubts and yesterday announced it would carry out what it describes as the most "comprehensive" and "trustworthy" survey on children's intelligence quotients (IQs) and emotional quotients (EQs).

"Reliable data is crucial for identifying and resolving problems [concerning child intelligence]," said director-general Dr Somchai Chakraphan.

Somchai said previous surveys that showed Thai children having lower-than-acceptable intelligence levels were flawed in three major areas: the survey tools used, the methodology and those who actually conducted the surveys.

Unlike questionnaires used in previous surveys, a shortened form of the standard intelligence test used widely in developed countries will be employed for the first time in Thailand, says Dr Pranee Chanarong, a clinical psychologist at Thammasat University's Faculty of Medicine.

Previous surveys used questionnaires that were designed only to test a child's ability to study in class, unlike the new format, which should cover all major areas of intelligence, she said.

The target population of the new survey is toddlers between three and five years of age and primary-school students aged six to 11 throughout the country, said Abac Poll Research Centre director Noppadon Kannika.

He said unlike previous surveys, which only studied about 400 samples per group, the new survey would be based on the number in the target population.

For example, young children make up 1.7 million of the population, while primary-school students account for 5.7 million. As a result, the new survey will study 3,469 and 4,913 samples, respectively.

"This will ensure we get a sample population that truly represents the child population in each region," said Noppadon.

Somchai said what was even more important was that the survey would be conducted only by qualified psychologists who would examine the children individually. As such, one psychologist will examine five children a day.

He said the department would pool all 150 of its psychologists, plus another 100 university psychology lecturers and child psychologists from juvenile remand centres across the Kingdom.

Arthit Khwankhom

The Nation